St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-11

knows when to violate rules. He was al
ways on the law side, and never on the equity
side OF a case. Mr.. Cleveland knew that the
country would jealousy watch the
especially as its official, though gen.
orally nominal head, was secretary
Lamar, of Confederate fame, so Lamar's first
step was to telegraph Gen. Black, urging him
to accept the position OF commissioner OF
pensions. Then the soldiers breathed more
freely. Gen. Blacks distinguished army
services, his severe wounds, himself u
penSioner, and his known sympathy for his
comrades, made him one to be trusted. From
the start there has been no doubt of tho
loyalty of the officer to the patriotic spirit of
the country, which has passed the most
benevolent pension legislation the world has
ever known. And steadily the confidence of
the "boys in blue" has grown in their COM
missioner Quite number OF Confederate
soldiers, when transformed into Republicans,
were
APPOINTED CLERKS
by Dudley, and / never objected to that. but
Gen. Black has appointed none OF that class.
He knew that if he did, every case recon-
mended for rejection by such clerks would
raise an unmeaning howl, and that the more
honest that class of clerks were, the more
they would lean over towards the claimant
that they might not be suspected OF prejudice
against him.
Gen. Black has kept 1900 employees, the
largest and most important bureau in the
government, in fun sympathy with the suf-
fering heroes of the republic. and that mainly
because OF his sympathetic nature; he is the
natural friend of those who like himself,
have suffered. He has instituted such re-
forms that in many branches of the work two
examiners now dc what formerly occupied
three. 10 thus make two men equal to three
means bringing delayed. joy to many poor
FELLOW who sadly feared that death would
reach him in advance of his pension. But
his best work, the work in which he has most
displayed his real regard for the soldier s
welfare, has been his refusal to weaken his
Office by mercileSs decapitation of efficient
Republican clerks Himself thorough Dem-
ocrat, who would only be too willing to see in
comfortable official positions his political
friends, who for quarter OF q century have
been ostracised simply becaused they were
Democrats taken in connection with the ire
mendous pressure brought to bear uponshim
Tor Offices, for though Secretary Lamar is the
nominal head, yet ne has been the real power
in the office, has made his official life a trying
one, He has removed many, but in nearly
every case for sufficient cause. and some of
them were of his own political faith. Where
vacancies have properly occurred he has, as
was to be expected, appointed Democrats to
I'LL those vacancies, provided the civil service
law did not thrust Republicans upon him.
Every law can be evaded aud he might have
so evaded that law that to-day there would be
twice as many Democrats in his office as there
now are, but the result would be
DELAYED BUSINESS
and the curses of claimants grown old in
waiting for the settlement of their Just
claims. The work of an examiner Of pensions
calls for more ability and experience than any
other clerical position under the government.
10 be thoroughly efficient examiner re-
CURES full year, and much of that time he
needs tutor. No law prevented Gen. Black
from making an indiscriminate discharge of
all Republican clerks, but had he done so he
would have cruelty sacrificed the interests of
the soldiers, and more than in any other pos
sible way would have injured his own party,
for the lessening results of his Office would
have caused such howl of indignation
that that party's hold on power would
have become most precariouS. His duty to
the soldier and his duty to his party have
alike prompted him to hold on to every
efficient Republican employee until he could
legally put in his place an equally efficient
Democratic substitute. And / suppose few
of the former class look forward to longer
official tenure than the above would indicate,
for, somehow, whether the spoils belong to
the victors or not, the yictors ultimately get
the spoils. I don't suppose the general would
grieve if, OF all his small brigade there were
none but Democrats, but his higher aspira-
tion is TO be known as he who best deserves
the appellation of the soldiers FRIEND by
continuing to prove himself the most efficien t
commissioner of pensions, which is the uni
versal verdict in this case by those most COM
petent to judge.
The question of how the Democracy would
manage the pension Office has been salts
factor1ly answered, and the Democratic party,
in having furnished such an answer that
satisfies the loyalty of all, and places it in such
a political position that the ''solder vote can
no longer be massed in behalf of any one
party, is mainly indebted to the legal skill,
business genius and patriotic foresight Of
Gen. John G. Black. H.TJ J.